Shoe and method of making the same



Nov. 21, 1939. v c, w. BAKER I 2,180,385

SHOE AND' METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Feb. 16, 1958 Patented Nov. 21, 1939 um'rso states SHOE AND METHOD OF NEAKING THE SAME Cor-win W. Baker, Stoneham, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, N. J a corporation of New Jer-v sey Application February 16, 1938, Serial No. 190,831

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of making a shoe whereby the opposite edges of the outsole just ahead of the heel breast line are held tightly against the upper, and to the shoe made by the method.

In preparing a shoe for the reception of a wood heel it is customary to trim the heel end of the sole so as to form a convex seat adapted to receive the concavity in the heel-attaching face of the heel, and to provide at theforward end of the convex seat two transversely extending alined shoulders against which the breast of the heel will abut. It frequently happens that, in the finished shoe, the opposite edges of the outsole at and just ahead of these shoulders do not lie closely against the upper.

In order to obviate this objectionable occurrence, and in accordance with the present invention, the outsole, before. it is laid on the bottom of the lasted shoe, is bent widthwise in the locality just ahead of the heel breast line in such manner that the attaching faceof the sole is concave and is held so bent by a flexible member applied to it which bridges the concavity. The sole with the flexible member holding it bent is placed upon the bottom of a lasted shoe and subjected to the usual sole-laying operation by which the sole is conformed to the shape of the bottom of the lasted shoe and is held temporarily in'place by cement, the efiect of the sole-laying operationin addition to its usual effects as outlined above-being to cause the flexible member which bridges theconcavity of the sole to pull the opposite edges of the sole firmly into contact with the upper. The sole is then preferably stitched to the insole, after which the heel seat is formed, the surplus portions of the flexible member, which are exposed to view, are trimmed off and subsequent operations are performed. There results a shoe in which the rear ends of the edges of the sole just ahead of the heel breast line are held firmly against the upper of the shoe with no tendency to sag.

Referring to the accompanying drawing:

, Fig. l is a plan of a channeled outsole which has been bent widthwise in the locality just ahead of the heel breast line and is held bent by a piece of adhesive tape;

Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective of the rear portion of the lasted shoe-after the sole has been stitched and the heel seat fitted, the surplus tape being in process of being removed; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the finished shoe taken just ahead of the heel breast line.

The invention has been illustrated in connec-- tion with a shoe of the McKay type which has a Louis heel, the outsole 5 of which has been channeled as usual at l and provided with the usual heel breast flap 9. The sole is bent widthwise, as shown best in Fig. 2, in such manner that its attaching face at the bent locality is concave; and it is held so bent for example by a piece of adhesive tape H a portion of which bridges the concavity, the ends of the tape being overlapped upon the opposite face of the sole. The sole thus held bent I is coated with cement, which may be rubber cement, and a coat of the same cement is applied to the bottom of a lasted shoe. Thereafter, while the cement is tacky, the sole is placed on the bottom of the shoe and subjected to a sole-laying operation which presses the sole into place whereit is held temporarily bythe cement prior to thesewing operation. The efiect of the laying operation is to conform the sole as nearly as possible to the shape of the bottom of the lasted shoe. In the shank portion of the shoe there is a shank still"- ener, herein shown (Fig. 4) as consisting of a piece of fiberboard l3 having astened to it a steel reinforcement M which is concavo-convex in cross section, the middle longitudinal portion of the shank stiffener projecting somewhat above the level of the overlasted margin of the upper ll. A force is therefore exerted against. that portion of-the tape H which bridges the concave attaching face of the sole, the eifect beingto cause the tape to pull the opposite edges of the sole tightly against the upper.

The sole is preferably at this stage sewed in place by stitches l9 one or more of which at the ends of the row pass through the tape. In Fig. 3 two stitches at each end of the row have passed through the tape. As will presently be explained, the surplus tape which is exposed to view is later cut ofi; but thesestitches hold firmly'in place the ends of that portion of the tape which lies between the insole and the outsole. The heel seat may now be fitted, as shown in Fig. 3, to provide a convex seat and two transversely extending alined shoulders IE5 at the heel breast line against which the breast of the heel (in this case a Louis heel) will abut, after which the ends-of the tape may be pulled from the sole and trimmed off at the bottom of the crease at the junction of the sole and the upper after the manner-indicated in Fig.3. the heel breast flap laid. The result is shown in Fig. 4 wherein it will be seen that the tape I I Subsequently, the heel is attached, and

holds the opposite edges of the sole 5 tightly against the upper i! so that no looseness exists at these localities.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The method of making a shoe which comprises bending a sole widthwise in the locality just ahead of the heel breast line in such manner that the attaching face is concave, fastening a flexible member to the sole to maintain it bent, placing the sole upon the bottom of a lasted shoe, pressing the sole including the bent portion against said bottom, and fastening the sole in place. j

2. The method of making a shoe which comprises bending a sole widthwise in the locality just ahead of the heel breast line in such manner that the attaching face is concave, fastening a flexible member to the sole to maintain it bent, placing the sole upon the bottom of a lasted shoe, pressing the sole including the bent portion against said bottom, and fastening the sole in place by stitches which pass through the flexible member.

3. The method of making a shoe which comprises bending a sole widthwise in the locality just ahead of the heel breast line in such manner that the attaching face is concave, holding the sole so bent by a flexible member which bridges the concavity, placing the sole upon the bottom of a lasted shoe, pressing it against said bottom, stitching the sole to the shoe, and severing the flexible member at the base of the crease between the sole and the upper.

4. The method of making a shoe which comprises bending a sole widthwise in the locality just ahead of the heel breast line in such manner that the attaching face is concave, fastening an adhesive tape to the sol-e with a portion of the tape bridging the concavity, placing the sole upon the bottom of a lasted shoe, pressing the concave face against said bottom, and fastening the sole in place.

5. The method of making a shoe which comprises bending a sole widthwise in the locality just ahead of the heel breast line in such manner that the attaching face is concave, fastening an adhesive tape to the sole with a portion of the tape bridging the concavity, placing the sole upon the bottom of a lasted shoe, pressing it against said bottom, and disengaging the ends of the tape from the sole and cutting them off close to the upper of the shoe.

6. A shoe having a wood heel the breast of which abuts against shoulders formed on the sole at the heel breast line, opposite marginal portions of the sole just ahead of the shoulders being urged into contact with the upper by a band of flexible material under tension attached to said marginal portions.

'7. An outsole ready to be placed upon the bottom of a lasted shoe, said sole being bent widthwise in the locality ahead of the heel breast line in such manner that the attaching face is concave, and a flexible member attached to the tread face of the outsole, bridging the concavity and holding the sole in its bent condition.

8. The method of making a shoe which comprises bending a sole widthwise in the locality just ahead of the heel-breast line in such manner that the attaching face is concave, temporarily fastening an adhesive tape to the tread face of the sole in such manner that a portion of the tape extends over the edges of the sole, bridges the concavity and maintains the bend in the sole, placing the sole upon the bottom of a lasted shoe, pressing the bent portion against said bottom, fastening the sole in place, and removing those portions of the tape which extend over the tread face and the edges of the sole.

CORWIN W. BAKER. 

